WREXHAM residents have backed a call for drug rooms to be introduced to get addicts off the streets.

As reported in the Leader yesterday, drug policy experts believe the facilities would improve public amenity by reducing drug litter in town centres, while also offering help to wean users off their fixes.

Supervised by healthcare professionals the drug consumption rooms would offer space for users to take Class A drugs in a controlled environment.

While the UK Government says is has no plans to introduce them, drug policy thinktank Volteface thinks they should be considered by policy makers and their plea is supported by North Wales police and crime commissioner Arfon Jones.

In Wrexham there has been an ongoing problem of anti-social behaviour from users of Spice and Black Mamba and those questioned by the Leader felt drug rooms would help tackle that as well as providing space for addicts to get help.

Janet Whilding, of Coedpoeth, said: “I have seen people, drug users up and down the town, and we all know there is a big problem here. But if you take them off the street then they have got a better chance of getting treatment.”

Gordon Crowley, from Llay, said: “You have got to try something as the problem is getting worse and not better. I only come into Wrexham a couple of times a week, but people tell me it is a real issue.”

Stephen Murray, from Wrexham, said: “There’s got to be something done to stop them taking drugs in public, so I would think this is a good idea. There is definitely a problem here in Wrexham. There’s people sleeping on benches and hedges who are taking drugs. I don’t feel safe when I walk around town.”

Proposals to set up a similar facility in Glasgow – where there are 13,600 problem users – failed to get off the ground recently because of the legal issues of allowing street-bought heroin into the so-called “fix room”.

Conventional drugs rehabilitation programmes focus on detoxification and withdrawing from use and Kelly Welfoot, also from Wrexham, believes establishing drug rooms will only reinforce the behaviour of users.

“It seems like they are encouraging it to me. That is why we have drug counselling services and the other help that is out there. I can’t see how giving people drugs is going to help them,” she said.

“It is encouraging people to do it, which is not the message we should be getting across.”